Senior line dancers steppin' up a storm

Line dancing is a popular form of recreation at the senior center. Senior dancers practicing include Rexine Draper, Aldene Thomas, Cleo Kouris, Bessie Christman and leader Aurelia Cooley.

As I walked up the hall towards the dining room at the local Price Senior Center it sounded as though I was entering a honky tonk at midnight; the sounds of Garth Brooks and George Strait filled the room. But as I entered the diningroom there wasn't a smoky bar or neon lights, just five senior citizens practicing their line dancing. I wanted to call them the "dancing grannies," but their leader promptly let me know they were simply the senior line dancers, "because we don't want to draw attention to our dancing."

But they had their dancing moves down pat, as they slapped and tapped, kicked and swayed to the left and right, one called out "butterfly" as they clapped their hands and swished their hips.

Every Monday and Wednesday about 10 members of the senior citizen's club meet to practice the dances and then they perform at the center, in nursing homes.

"We've even been asked to do a demonstration at the fair," said their leader Aurelia Cooley.

Cooley, as the leader orders the tapes and learns the dance routines first, then begins to help the other dancers get the steps down. She also schedules the demonstrations and brings the music for each practice.

Besides the two-step and polka, the group also danced to country pride and do an incredible electric slide to the music of hillbilly rock.

Besides the exercise, the women all agree that the fellowship and fun are what keeps them coming back to each practice. And the women certainly still have their sense of humor, as one of them yelled out "now make sure you get my best side," as she swayed around and gave me a wiggle.